Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger: Music and Bread
by SoTiredBlah
Summary: Last Christmas, two different worlds collided. As the girl helped the boy hide from the police, she would have never expected for the following Christmas to change both of their lives. Minor mentions of alcohol. JoexAhim. Modern AU.
1. Last Christmas

**Chapter 1: Last Christmas - A Year Ago**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger... I pirated it ;D**

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"Stop thief!"

A young man dressed in rags clutched the brown package he was holding closer to his body as he ran into another damp alleyway. Above him, snow was falling gently from the starry night, melting as soon as they impacted the ground. Lamps provided unsteady light in an ill attempt to illuminate the alleys with their flickering lights. Panting heavily, he looked back and saw that two policemen were still chasing after him.

"Stop!" one of them shouted, as their boots clacked noisily against the ground, their hands wielding clubs. "Return that package!"

The young man turned sharply to his right, surprising the policemen. Instead of hitting the wall like they assumed, he had slipped into another, more narrow, alleyway. His slim build allowed him to easily maneuver through, while his pursuers had to make do with going through one after the other.

"Damn this brat," one of them muttered, "This is going to stain my uniform."

His partner agreed, "I think I just lost a button," he said as something rolled on the ground.

The thief looked back and pushed himself through the last few feet, freeing himself from the narrow alleyway and into a more brightly lit part of town. The smell of smoke, oil and machinery assaulted him as he noticed that he was standing in front of an old concert hall. It didn't seem to be inhabited at the moment, so without a glance backwards, he ran towards it, dodging and nicking through the traffic of the streets. Cries of panic and chaos flooded the scene as he nipped through it without a care. Car drivers honked their horns at him, but he didn't stop until he reached his destination. He reached for the door and pushed open, a small creak accompanying. Taking a careful look inside, he snuck in, closing the door and bolting it with a stand he found lying near the door.

He stepped tentatively towards the stage, in slight awe of the surrounding rows and rows of elegantly carved wooden seats. The stage loomed closer towards him as he felt himself relax, certain that the police wouldn't find him here. He looked up and noticed the second floor of boxes, curtains draped behind them.

A sudden urge to go up to the boxes overwhelmed him as he quickly scanned for a way and found it in a dark stairwell leading to the second floor. He darted over there, anxious to satisfy his urge and hurry back to safety. He stepped up the stairs, two steps at a time and arrived at his destination. Pulling back the curtains, he was met with seats that looked more like thrones.

Should he, shouldn't he, the young man was tempted to sink into one of the seats. In the end, he relented and allowed himself to sit in them, maybe just for a few minutes.

He gingerly sat down, allowing himself to relax even further. This was nice, he thought.

Abruptly, the lights of the concert hall were turned on, a small electronic buzz filling the air. The young man looked around in panic, careful to be silent, but searching for the person who turned it on. A small cadence sounded from the stage as he saw a young woman a little younger than him emerge and step out into the light. Dressed in a simple pink gown, she carried a cello over to a waiting chair. Sitting down properly, she planted her feet firmly on the ground and raised her bow towards the strings. She drew the bow across the strings, the cello emitting a wail in response. Shaking her head, she turned the pegs until the instrument emitted a smoother, deeper sound. Nodding in satisfaction, she pulled out a cake of rosin and rubbed her bow on it before returning to the cello.

From above, the young man watched in interest as she played, allowing himself to be lulled to sleep by the notes. She played tentatively at first, but with each passing measure, her tone became more powerful and confident.

He lost track of time as he stayed there watching her play. As her playing lulled to a slow stop, he felt compelled to clap, to show her that her efforts weren't wasted. Before he could stop himself, his hands came together in a clap.

Startled, the girl's bow fell to the ground in a clatter.

"Who is there?" she called out, as she reached down to fetch her bow.

Feeling somewhat guilty, the young man knocked on the balcony of the box to announce his previously unknown presence.

With slightly curious eyes, she asked him, "Who are you?"

Put on the spot, he didn't know what to do, "I'm Joe Gibken," he found himself saying, then he cursed. Why did he give her his real name. "And you?"

"I am Ahim de Famille, a cellist in the orchestra here," the girl replied calmly. "What brings you up there? I did not know anyone else would be here."

"Well... I, uh..."

But before Joe could answer her, a loud cry came through the door.

"OPEN UP! THIS IS THE POLICE!"

"Damn," Joe swore, as he hid in the box, just as the two policemen barged their way into the concert hall.

"You there!" the burlier of the two pointed to Ahim who had just stared at them the whole time. "Have you seen a thief around here?"

"A thief?" Ahim laughed lightly. "Why would a thief be in this place?"

"To hide, of course!" he barked back. "When did you get here?"

"When?" Ahim pretended to think, her eyes glancing over to the box where Joe was hiding. She saw Joe's face turn stoic as his body tensed up.

"I just arrived," she replied to the policemen. "As you can see, I was about to begin practicing when you two gentlemen entered."

"So you haven't seen anyone suspicious here?"

"It has only been me here since I have arrived," Ahim said with a small bow.

"Well, if you see anyone here that shouldn't be here, let us know," the other policeman said as he tipped his cap towards Ahim. "Goodnight miss. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, officers," she waved with a smile on her face.

Ahim waited until the door was closed before she turned over to the box, "You can come out now," she called out to Joe.

Joe stepped back out into view. "Why did you cover for me?"

"Joe-san, you seem like a nice person," Ahim stated simply. "Are you the one that they were looking for?"

"I am." Joe had slipped down the stairs and was now hidden underneath the doorway that led up to the second floor. His left hand gripped his package tightly, his grip crinkling the wrapping paper.

Ahim looked towards the source of the sound, "Is that item what you stole?"

Joe nodded.

"May I see it?" Ahim asked politely.

Joe shifted uncomfortably. "I don't think it's best for you to see it."

"I merely wish to know if I made the right choice in hiding you from the authorities, Joe-san," Ahim told him.

With a small sigh, Joe walked towards Ahim. Stopping in front of her, he offered her the package. With delicate hands, she reached out and grasped it. "It is not that heavy, Joe-san," she said.

"Clothes," Joe said gruffly.

"I beg your pardon?" Ahim asked.

"It's just clothes," Joe repeated. "My friends and I needed new clothes for the winter, or we'd freeze."

Ahim nodded in understanding, "Wait here please," she said as she scurried towards the back of the stage, leaving Joe in slight alarm. When she came back alone, Joe let out a breath he was not aware that he had been holding.

"Take this," Ahim said as she returned the package along with some bills.

Joe took the package and scooped off the money, "What's with this?" he asked. "I don't need your pity."

"It is not out of pity that I give you this money," Ahim said. "It is my wish that you use this money wisely."

"What do you mean?"

"If you want to use it to pay back the store you stole from, use it like that. If you need to buy a feast for yourself and your friends, use it how you will," Ahim smiled. "If you promise me you will not steal again, I will let you take it."

"What if I decide to take off right now?" Joe countered.

"You have been so honest with me, Joe-san," Ahim replied. "I hardly think you would do such a thing."

Again, Joe cursed inwardly before he looked back to Ahim who had her pinky finger outstretched. With slight hesitation, Joe wrapped his own pinky around hers. "I promise."

"Good," Ahim turned away, and walked back to her cello. "There is a door in the back if you wish to escape here soon. No doubt the policemen will still be looking for you. However it is Christmas and they will not be doing a thorough job. They will most likely forget your face in a week."

Joe nodded dumbly, before realizing that she couldn't see him. "Okay," he said.

He walked past Ahim, clutching his package of clothes and the money she gave him. When he was near the edge of the curtains, he stopped and looked back. To his surprise, he saw Ahim staring back at him. A slight blush filled both their faces before Joe turned back towards the dark backstage.

"Thanks, Ahim," he said loud enough for her to hear. "Merry Christmas."

With that he ran off towards the door, slamming it in his wake.

Ahim giggled amusedly, "Merry Christmas, Joe-san."

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** Well, first things first, Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays and all that good stuff! **

** In all my years of writing fanfiction, I've always wanted to do something... Christmassy. You know, I've seen a bunch of Christmas fics but I've never had the time to write one. I still don't have the time to write one but you know, I churned one out. **

** Except it's only the first chapter. And it'll be released on a weekly basis again. Yeah. Because I can't time manage for the life of me. Yeah. Should probably work on that. But in any case, I hope you've enjoyed reading this first chapter and I hope that you enjoy your time with your families! Spend some good quality time with your families :D**


	2. It's Been A Year - December 15

**Chapter 2: It's been a year - December 15**

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It had been a whole year since Joe had left Ahim behind at the concert hall. When he had closed the door firmly behind him, he counted the money and was surprised that she had given him more than enough to pay back the clothes as well as buy some warm food for himself and his friends. He had trailed back to the store where he had stolen the clothes and placed the money in the mailbox with a note saying, "Here's the money I owe you." Afterwards, he had bought food and enjoyed Christmas with his friends.

Joe smiled. It was a good memory. That Christmas had been saved by an aspiring cellist. Joe looked back to the memory with a fond feeling whenever he was feeling down.

As promised, Joe had also stopped stealing, instead finding work at the local bakery. True to her word, the policemen had never found him, and didn't even recognize him when they entered the bakery sometimes. Nevertheless, Joe would always breath uneasily whenever they came into the shop. The work there was tough work, and didn't pay much, but Joe didn't have much of an education to his name, and had only gotten hired when the manager was too desperate to even care about where Joe had come from. He could hardly complain about his work, but there was a slight silver lining. Joe had found out that he was talented in breadmaking, and noticing his talent, the manager had taken him under his wing, providing him with some tips and tricks of the trade.

However, that was then and this is now, Joe thought grimly as he watched his friend cough violently and shiver under the threadbare blankets. The empty cough medicine bottle stood near her head as though taunting him about his promise.

"Joe," his friend said weakly. "Don't worry so much."

"Luka, you know I can't," Joe replied. "Someone has to."

Luka Milfy smiled wryly at the thought of their other friends worrying. "Marvelous would never worry so much over this... and Doc would tire himself out looking after me."

As if on cue, the other two members of their motley crew entered the room, one with blonde bushy hair carrying a bowl of lukewarm soup and the other shaking the snow off his jacket.

"This is the best we could do, Luka," Don "Doc" Dogoier said as he offered her the bowl.

The other man placed his jacket over her legs, attempting to warm her up. "Wasn't much at stalls tonight either."

Luka smiled weakly at the two as she gulped down the soup. A little colour returned to her as she slowly sat up. "Thanks you two. Now Joe doesn't have to worry."

Joe smiled grimly as he got up. "Take care of her you two," he told them, as he grabbed his jacket and headed out.

The thin door shut with a wobble as he buttoned up and breathed into his cupped hands before he placed them into his pockets. The jacket had already been worn threadbare since last winter. He looked back to the old apartment room that the four of them were living in. It wasn't much and most of the inhabitants that surrounded them were of the unwanted type, but it was all they could afford. Actually, they didn't afford it. It was given to Joe by his manager for a cut of his wages. Quickly, Joe descended down the rickety stairs and walked towards the bustling town.

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Joe's mind was full of inner turmoil. He didn't have enough money to buy Luka the medicine that she needed, and neither Marvelous or Doc had enough money. Even when they pooled all their money together, the end result was still under what they needed. The only thing left to do... was to steal.

But he wouldn't do that, he had promised Ahim after all. He had left behind that life, and had focused on making a honest paycheck.

Joe's expression hardened. Desperate times called for desperate measures. It was either steal or let Luka suffer and possibly die. Luka was the glue that could control the other boys; without her they'd likely be in jail the next day.

"Sir, would you like a flyer?"

Joe snapped out of his thoughts, and looked towards the girl who was dressed warmly for the cold. "I'm sorry?"

"Would you like a flyer?"

"Oh, uh, yes please." Joe took the flyer from her as bowed as she walked away.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we invite you to a free evening of music on your Christmas night by the Small Lotus symphony orchestra..." Joe read as he walked further down the street. "A special solo performance this year by cellist Ahim de Famille."

Joe stopped dead in his tracks. "Ahim..." True, he hadn't seen her in a while, but she should be able to help him out again.

A quiet melody floated out from the imposing doors of the concert hall that he had taken refuge in last year. Joe smiled at the irony of landing back to where his life had changed last year. Like last year, no one was walking into the concert hall, so without further ado, he ran up the stairs and opened the doors just a creak.

On the stage, he saw a familiar figure playing her cello. Watching as Ahim de Famille played her cello with such intensity, he slipped quietly into the seats within the darkness. Ahim was so immersed that she hadn't even noticed that Joe had come in. Her bow danced along the strings as the music resonated clearly throughout the hall.

Drawing her bow across the strings one last final time, Ahim took a deep breath and relaxed her posture. From the shadows, someone clapped, once again startling her just like year ago. This time however, Ahim kept her grip on her bow.

Following the sound of the clapping, she found a figure in the darkness that looked somewhat familiar...

"Is that you, Joe-san?" she called out. The clapping stopped abruptly as the figure stood up and moved into the aisle, revealing his face. Ahim visibly relaxed as Joe's ponytail and face came into view. The last year had been good to him, she noted, as his face had more colour to it.

"It is good to see you again, Joe-san," Ahim greeted him as he walked up to the end of the stage, looking up at her.

Joe smiled back at her, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It has been almost a year," Ahim noted cheerfully. "Have you been doing well?"

"Well enough."

"And our promise?"

"I've kept it," Joe said lifting his pinky up to her. "I've found work at a bakery."

Ahim hooked her pinky around his. "Congratulations!"

Joe nodded, then looked away from her, slipping his pinky away.

Ahim caught the sudden change in emotion, "What is wrong?"

"Ahim," Joe began after taking a deep breath. "I almost broke our promise today. You see, a friend of mine needs medicine and I have no money..."

"Were you going to steal it?" Ahim accused him.

"There was no other choice," Joe rationalized.

Ahim looked at him solemnly, "I understand that there may have not been any other choice. However, now you do have a choice."

Joe looked at her strangely. "I do?"

"Of course," Ahim smiled mischievously. "I can help you out again."

Joe gave a start, "You would do that for me?"

"Of course," Ahim said as she walked towards the dark backstage. "Would you like to come backstage with me? I need to put away my cello."

Speechless, Joe leapt lightly up to the stage and followed Ahim.

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Five minutes later, Ahim and Joe exited the concert hall, Ahim now bundled up against the cold weather. Walking out of the dark alleyway and out into the brightly lit streets, Joe followed Ahim as she led the way towards the pharmacy.

Bells jingled to announce the arrival of the pair as they entered the pharmacy, taking refuge from the cold weather outside.

"Which medicine did your friend need?" Ahim asked.

Joe reached over and grabbed a cough medicine bottle. "We just needed this one," Joe replied as he handed it over to Ahim for inspection.

"Hmm," Ahim murmured as she read the inscription. "I do not know if this would be good for your friend."

"Why not?" Joe asked.

"It is simply not strong enough to help your friend," Ahim placed the bottle back onto the shelf and picked out another one. "I think this one would work better."

Joe looked at her with dubious eyes but said nothing, instead nodding his assent.

"Then it is settled," Ahim declared as she took it over to the cashier.

Moments later, Ahim passed Joe the medicine, now in a brown bag. "Make sure your friend takes it twice a day," she instructed Joe, who nodded. "Are you returning back home now?"

Again, Joe nodded.

"Would you like come with me?"

Joe's question took Ahim by surprise. It was a question that was full of answers. Answers like how much Joe trusted her now, and how much he wanted to be her friend.

"I cannot, at the moment," Ahim said ruefully.

"Maybe some other time then," Joe offered.

Ahim smiled brightly, "Yes, maybe another time," she promised.

"Thanks again for the medicine, Ahim," Joe said as he turned to take his leave.

"Wait."

Joe turned around as Ahim hugged him hard in the streets. Passerbys didn't notice the pair as Joe awkwardly returned her hug.

"Come back to the concert hall soon, okay?" Ahim said as she broke off the hug and ran quickly back towards the concert hall.

Left alone, Joe scratched his head in an attempt to figure out what just happened. Shrugging it off, he made the now lonely walk back towards his room.

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**Whelp, as we stated last week, this won't be done in time for Christmas... so a very late present? I'm not too sure. Anyways, if all goes well, I'm hoping I can upload the current version of Chapter 3 that I have next week. Just hoping haha. **

** Uhh, in this chapter, we've seen that Ahim and Joe have been thinking a lot about each other for the past year, yay :D Thinking about people for a year can lead to some... romantic subplots in their heads? **

** But in other news, Happy New Year! Xin Nian Kuai Le! Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu! **

** And I got a 3DS and Pokemon X, need friend safaris pl0x.**

** Oh and before I forget, thanks to both Pearl and Lisa for editing this for me! :D Sorry I couldn't be there for the party... still on vacation :(**


	3. This Year - December 22

**Chapter 3: This Year - December 22**

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Ahim de Famille sat on a stool in front of the concert hall's grand piano, the ivory white keys glistening under the illumination. She shuffled through her sheet music, attempting to find the piece that she wanted to play. Flipping through tons of papers, she finally found it. Neatly arranging the unwanted sheet music, she placed them on the side and on the piano's stand, lay the sheet music side by side.

Ahim breathed in and straightened out her posture, her hands poised above the keys. Her fingers began to press and dance on the keys, the piano starting its enchanting song.

It had been a week since Ahim had gone with Joe to buy the medicine. There had been no contact between the two since then, and while Ahim was used to being alone, part of her kept on looking at the door hoping for him to walk in. Ahim couldn't explain the feelings that she felt, but she was aware that what she felt was something special, although she wasn't quite sure just why.

Ahim pressed on as she continued to play her music, pouring her heart into each note and attempting to distract herself as she waited for Joe to return to the concert hall.

* * *

A group of four stopped and stared up at the grand and imposing looking concert hall, the frost nipping at their faces as they craned their necks.

"Your friend works here, Joe?" Luka asked.

Now fully healthy, at first Luka had been reluctant at first to take the new medicine, wary of how Joe had obtained it. However, Joe had patiently explained the circumstances of the night and Luka took the medicine, gradually becoming better. By the third day, she had insisted on thanking Joe's friend personally and slowly whittled down Joe's sense of secrecy regarding his relationship with Ahim. Joe had finally agreed today to bring her to see Ahim, while Doc and Marvelous said that they would tag along for the rare occasion that Luka would thank someone.

"I've met her twice here," Joe answered, as he strained to hear the familiar sound of Ahim's cello.

"Looks like she's rich," muttered Marvelous, hiding the lower part of his face in his red scarf. He stuffed his hands even further down his jacket as he jogged on the spot in an attempt to get warm. "Can we go in?"

"I guess so," Joe shrugged as he lead the way up the stone steps, his shoes crunching against the snow, packing it in.

"It really does look beautiful," Doc commented as he continued to look at the hall in awe.

Joe reached the door first, turning around to wait for the rest as Marvelous brought up the rear. Finally, he could hear some music, but instead of the deep voice of a cello, he heard the clear staccato of a piano being played. Taking a deep breath and hoping that he wasn't wrong in bringing them here, he took hold of the brass knocker and banged the door three times.

Three times the door was knocked. The first time, Ahim was shocked and her playing stopped. The second, she flinched from the harsh sound it made and by the third knock, she was used to it. However, it didn't stop her from being uneasy. Wishing that she had her bow with her, Ahim gingerly stood up as the door was opened. A cold wind blew into the building, causing her to shiver a bit as she noticed four silhouettes entering.

_Thieves_, was her first thought as panic swept through her body. Wishing that the piano wasn't so squarely center on the stage, she tensed up and prepared to run before noticing that one of the figures was coming straight towards her.

Without hesitation, Ahim bolted, running as fast as she could away from the man.

"Ahim!" the man called out loudly as soon as he saw her running.

Ahim stopped and looked back carefully. At that moment, the lights switched on, revealing Joe's face. Ahim felt herself flush as she returned meekly to her piano.

"I am so sorry, Joe-san," she apologized, as Joe leapt lightly up the stage and walked to her. "I did not mean to run away from you."

"It's alright," Joe consoled her as he watched her sit down on her stool. Footsteps gathered as Luka, Doc and Marvelous clambered onto the stage and walked towards Joe and Ahim.

"Good evening," Ahim said politely. Turning back to Joe, she asked, "Are they your friends?"

Joe nodded stiffly, now unsure of what to do. The millions of times he had played this moment out in his head had never included a scenario where Ahim would run away from him.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all," Ahim said, shaking Luka's hand first. "May I ask your names?"

"I'm Luka Milfy," Luka said as she introduced herself.

"Are you the one that Joe was finding the medicine for?" Ahim smiled, as Luka nodded dumbfounded. "I am pleased to find that you are all better now."

"I've been good since day three of taking the medicine," Luka said, finding talking to the other girl easy. "It's just been a matter of persuading Joe to bring me here to thank you."

Ahim glanced over at Joe, who was now staring intently at the piano. Unsure of how to interpret Joe's unwillingness to bring his friends to her, she turned back towards the two men waiting to introduce themselves.

"Marvelous," the first one said, his red scarf dangling from around his neck. "Just Marvelous."

"It is good to meet you, Marvelous-san," Ahim said, causing Marvelous to blink and grin with delight as he heard the honorific.

"I'm Don Dogioer," said the other man, shaking Ahim's hand. "I can't express enough thanks for the medicine."

"We call him 'Doc'," Marvelous commented. "First time we met him, he was playing pretend at school as a doctor."

Ahim smiled knowingly and shook Doc's hand. "Are you still practicing?"

Doc shook his head in embarrassment, "I don't have enough time and money for school between my job and taking care of these guys."

"I see," Ahim said, turning her attention back towards Joe, finally looked away from the keys. "Joe-san, why have you brought your friends here?"

"Well..." Joe shifted uncomfortably. "You said some other time... and Luka wanted to thank you."

"Oh," Ahim looked back at Luka with smiling eyes, "There's no need to thank me, Luka-san."

Joe cleared his throat from behind, "Ahim, could I talk to you in private please?"

Ahim turned slightly red and nodded.

"I guess we'll be leaving then," Luka called out, a sly look in her eyes. "Come on, you two," she said as she grabbed Marvelous and Doc by their collars and walked towards the door.

"Are we really going?" Marvelous whispered to Luka, trying to right himself.

"No," hissed Luka. "But Joe wants to be alone with her and I want to see what's going to happen."

"You want to-!" Doc almost said before Marvelous clamped his hand over his mouth.

"Yes, I want to spy on them," Luka admitted. She opened the door and looked back at the couple who were just awkwardly standing there, looking at them.

She waved cheerfully before she opened the door and walked out, leaving an unnoticeable crack in the doorway from which to peep in.

Joe waited until his friends were out of sight before he turned back over to Ahim, who was staring at him expectantly.

"Sorry about that," he said looking at her in the eyes for the first time that night.

"Do not be," Ahim smiled at him as she walked back towards the piano. "I was pleased to see that you brought them with you this time."

"I wish you hadn't called me a thief when we came in, though," Joe teased her, causing Ahim to turn red.

"It was only because it was dark," Ahim covered smoothly. "I could not see your face.

"In any case, it is because I have come to expect Joe-san to announce his presence with applause," said Ahim with a mischievous grin.

"Oh, my apologies," Joe quickly clapped a few times as Ahim took a gracious bow. "Are you happy now, your majesty?"

"Quite so, thank you," Ahim answered, her voice grave. Ahim sat back down on her piano stool and played a few notes in succession, while Joe listened.

"I didn't know you could play the piano," Joe commented.

"Mhm, my father wanted me to learn the piano first before I learned any other instruments," Ahim told him. "After I mastered the piano to a suitable degree, I moved onto the string instruments."

Joe watched Ahim play a while longer before he sat down on the edge of the stool. Ahim glanced over at him and noticed in amusement that Joe was attempting to copy her actions on the keyboard.

"What are you doing?" Ahim said, trying to hide her laughter.

Joe quickly withdrew his hands and grasped them together, "Nothing," he mumbled.

Smiling, Ahim got up and pulled Joe over to where she had been sitting. She put her hands atop the keys, "Like this," she said as she began to teach Joe. Awkwardly, Joe copied the posture.

"Fingers further apart, Joe-san," Ahim corrected him, taking her own fingers and placing them between his, feeling the roughness of his skin against the smooth and slimness of her own. Unconsciously, she closed her fingers around Joe's, with Joe following suit. Without hesitation, Ahim buried her head into Joe's shoulder.

"Ahim?" Joe asked, unsure of what to make of their still entwined hands and her head resting on his shoulders. He could feel his heart pounding as he felt Ahim against his back. Ahim didn't respond, so he tried again. This time, Ahim let out a little sound of acknowledgment.

"You okay?" Joe asked her.

Ahim nodded, wrinkling Joe's jacket. "I am fine," she answered him. "I am feeling better than I have in a long time."

Joe didn't question her any further, and merely nuzzled the top of her head, basking in the moment.

"Joe-san."

"Hmm?"

Ahim lifted her head up, "Would you like to have dinner tonight?"

Joe looked at Ahim, their faces just inches apart. "Where?"

"I know a great cafe nearby," Ahim said, feeling her blush growing. "The food is great and the staff are really welcoming!"

"What is it called?" Joe asked her.

"_Kizuna_," whispered Ahim.

"Doesn't it mean 'bond'?" Slight confusion crossed Joe's face. "I've never heard of it."

Ahim nodded slightly, "My friend recently bought it and renamed it. The chef there does wonders with food and the staff there are friendly and professional."  
Joe smiled warmly and nodded, "I'd be happy to have dinner with you tonight."

* * *

Outside in the cold, Luka smiled. "Nice job, Joe."

"I can't see anything," Marvelous grumbled below her.

"Me too," complained Doc.

"Doesn't matter," Luka said as she stood back up. Once again, she grabbed the boys by the collars and dragged them away. "We're going home."

"Oi, why are you smiling?" Marvelous demanded. "Tell us what you saw!"

"Only for a price," Luka said, determined to keep her secret.

"All you need to know is that everything is going fine."

* * *

**Haha, well. I've managed to include a reference here to one of the greatest, in my opinion, TakeruxMako stories in here. Of course, I did it without permission, but I did PM MidnightRosebud, so if she doesn't like it, I'll be replacing the restaurant with a different one. Hurhur.**

** So after helping out Joe, Ahim is back at the concert hall and the rest of the team comes. Luka's kinda tactful and leaves the two... Of course... cute moments ensue hurhur. And Ahim teaches Joe how to play the piano... kinda ;D**

** CAN ANYONE ELSE PICTURE THIS OR IS IT JUST ME?!**

** Please leave a comment behind~**

** As well, I got into Kamen Rider again with Wizard, and Fourze too... HAS ANYONE ELSE REALIZE THE AMOUNT OF SHIPPING THAT HAPPENS IN THOSE TWO SHOWS ALONE.**

** GOD.**

** So... when this is done, I'll be doing some Kamen Rider fanfics again.**

** THIS IS WHAT SHIPPING DOES TO ME.**


	4. But If You Kiss Me Now - December 24

**Chapter 4: But If You Kiss Me Now - December 24**

* * *

Two days had gone by since Joe and Ahim had gone out that night for dinner. They had had a wonderful time at _Kizuna_, enjoying each other's company in a comfortable atmosphere. As Ahim had said, the staff were professional, the food impeccable and the environment was more than welcoming from the moment they had walked in. When they first stepped through, they had been immediately greeted by one of the waitresses who placed them immediately at one of the open tables. Another waitress had brought their drinks while the head manager himself had taken their order. Joe sat awkwardly through the beginning of the meal, unused to restaurants. Ahim had noticed his discomfort and reached across the table and squeezed his hand, sending a pulse of assurance through her touch, relaxing Joe. Halfway through their meal, Ahim had asked the first waitress if the owner was in tonight to which the waitress had called across the room to the head manager if 'mother dearest' was at the restaurant. Ahim had merely stared at the mention of her friend being called 'mother dearest' and lapsed into a fit of giggles, Joe being left out of the joke. Ahim calmed herself down, promising to explain the joke to Joe at a later date.

The owner came out from her office a few minutes after Ahim had asked, surprising Joe as she was wearing a detective uniform. Explaining to Joe that her friend worked as a detective and had bought the restaurant as an investment, Ahim and the owner chatted for a bit. To Joe, it explained why Ahim knew how the police would operate the previous Christmas.

The dinner ended on a sweet note, with an individual crème brulee served to the two of them. Ahim paid for the two of them and accompanied Joe back to his apartment. Feeling that it was too late for Ahim to walk back or take transportation back to her own living quarters, Joe had insisted that Ahim stay the night. Ahim, all of a sudden, finding herself fatigued accepted and together, they quietly entered the apartment. Joe pointed out the bathroom beside Luka's room, while he went into the room that the boys shared, grabbing his blanket and pillows from his bed and ignoring the combined snoring of Doc and Marvelous' bunk bed. Seeing Ahim waiting for him as he returned back to the living room, he pointed over the couch and Ahim plopped down unceremoniously first, with Joe following suit. Tucking the pillow behind their heads, Joe covered the two of them with his blanket and they fell asleep quickly.

When they woke up in the morning, chaos would be an understatement of the reaction that Luka gave off when she discovered the two under one blanket. Ahim lifted up her head from Joe's shoulder groggily, while Luka and Joe were having a heated conversation.

Eventually, Luka calmed down enough and Joe managed to get Ahim enough time to wash up and refresh herself before returning home. By that time, the two of them knew that their relationship had changed, but neither of them was willing to say it. Ahim quickly hugged Joe as her taxi arrived, once again reminding him to visit her at the concert hall.

* * *

Joe shivered as he braved the cold, ignoring the snowflakes falling from the skies above and anxious to reach his destination. His ponytailed hair was whipped messily around as he attempted to sink his face further into his scarfed. Tucked under one arm was a large brown paper bag of breads that were left unsold from the bakery.

Over the past two days, Joe had been thinking. A lot. Somewhat about work, but mostly about his budding relationship with Ahim. With each thought about it, Joe shook his head inwardly, knowing that it would never work out. Ahim had been raised differently, with high expectations and a more respectable background, whereas Joe was... well, Joe was just what you saw before you. A poor man, struggling to make ends meet with his friends. There was no way that he could make Ahim happy, he thought. There was no way that their love story would end happily.

No matter how Joe desperately wished it to be, Ahim would be his impossible girl.

* * *

Ahim waited patiently at the concert hall. Once more, she was practicing her cello, preparing for her solo at the Christmas concert tomorrow night. In her pocket, she held four tickets, one for each of Joe's friends and for Joe himself.

She would give them to him tonight, she promised herself. Tonight, she would give them to him and on Christmas, she would officially tell him her feelings.

Agreeing to herself that it was a good plan, she continued to practice her solo, simultaneously keeping a careful eye on the door and listening for any unusual sounds in the concert hall. Deftly moving her bow across the strings, she released a beautiful melody, one that told a story of hope, love and compassion.

A creak of the door announced Joe's entrance into the building as Ahim looked up and saw him come in. She instantly stopped playing and put down her cello, staring in Joe's direction with a smile growing on her face.

Joe looked at the stage and saw perhaps, the most breathtaking sight that he had seen in a long time.

Ahim was smiling at him, waiting for him even. Wearing a simplistic white dress that hugged her figure, her hair was swept neatly in a ponytail, with curls ending.

As he approached her, Joe suddenly lost the ability to talk. All he could do was stare at her unabashedly.

As though feeling the intensity of his gaze, Ahim blushed slightly.

"Hello again, Joe-san," she said as she got off her chair and walked towards the edge of the stage.

"Ahim," he said in way of greeting. And then, "I brought you some bread from the bakery."

"How wonderful," Ahim beamed as she crouched down and then sat on the edge of the stage, directly in front of Joe. Relieved that he didn't have to crane his neck up so high anymore, he offered the bag over to Ahim who took it, giving the bag a cursory inspection.

"My, my," she said, gazing down at the different breads in the bag. "There is _anpan, meronpan, kareepan..._"

"There's a few other ones at the bottom of the bag," Joe mumbled.

"It is perfect, Joe-san," she said, placing down the bag beside her before she enveloped Joe in a tight hug.

Joe returned her hug, breathing her scent.

Yes, she was his impossible girl, but as long as she was this close to him, the impossible was still just a bit more possible.

Just for a while though as everything must come to an end.

"Would you mind if we ate the breads now?" Ahim asked as she pulled away.

"We?" Joe asked her.

"The two of us," Ahim clarified.

"It's your bread now," Joe said.

Ahim smiled, "Then may I have Joe-san eat with me?"

Joe smiled back at Ahim, "Of course."

* * *

Ahim had put away her cello back into its case and was in the kitchen, while Joe stayed back at the stage in a feeble attempt to make it more comfortable.

"Ah, here you are," Ahim said as she pulled out a dusty bottle of wine. Taking a wet cloth from the sink, she wiped it down and grabbed two glasses from the cupboard. She exited the kitchen and walked back to stage to find that Joe had merely laid down his jacket against one of the old backdrops that the concert hall had used in previous years.

"Sorry," he said as they sat down on his jacket. "I couldn't find anything better."

"It is more than enough," Ahim told him. "It is enough that I have you here with me."

Joe made an grunt as he deliberately turned the other way to open the bag. Seeing her opportunity, Ahim quickly found one of Joe's pockets and slipped the tickets into it. Turning back, she found Joe staring at her with questioning eyes.

"I just wanted to see if there was a rock underneath where I was sitting," she lied as she accepted the bread that he offered. She took a bite of it before she rested it on her legs, pulling out the wine bottle and glasses.

"Where did you get that?" Joe asked her.

"One of the conductors always has one hidden away here," Ahim smiled conspiratorially. "I am merely borrowing it for our meal."

She poured each glass halfway up before sealing up the bottle again. Handing one of the glasses over to Joe, she toasted, "_Kanpai_," before clinking the two glasses together.

Taking a sip, she instantly felt the wine's warmth seep into her body, feeling her face warm up.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, a empty wine bottle and four buns eaten, Joe and Ahim were feeling slightly tipsy. Ahim was currently resting on Joe's lap, while Joe had his head against the wooden backdrop. One of Joe's hands were encased by both of Ahim's hands, while his free hand played with Ahim's hair. Ahim's face was very red, but her facial expression was one of satisfaction and comfort.

Joe stared absentmindedly upwards towards the lights, half aware of what was happening right now. Ahim, on the other hand, had her eyes closed, but she slipped out one of her hands and lifted it up to Joe's face.

Feeling the coolness of Ahim's palm resting on his cheek, Joe looked down and saw Ahim staring at him with semi-focused eyes. Pulling herself up, Ahim and Joe found themselves mere centimeters apart from each other, their noses touching. Without any hesistation, Joe pressed his lips against Ahim's. Pulling back, he saw Ahim stare at him blankly before she kissed him, responding to his actions.

For a few moments, Joe enjoyed the kiss, imagining it to be like Heaven, until his subconscious reminded him that the both of them were drunk.

Drunk.

With a jolt, Joe broke off the kiss. As if on reflex, Ahim tried to pull him back into another one, but Joe stopped her.

"Ahim," he said, shaking her lightly.

"Hmm?" Ahim lifted her eyes up, slightly groggily.

"We have to go," Joe said.

"But why?" whined Ahim, taking on a new personality.

"It's not safe here," Joe whispered urgently as he stood up shakily, still feeling the aftermath of the alcohol.

"But I'm always safe with Joe-kun," Ahim slurred.

"That's not what I mean," Joe answered her as he picked her up.

"But Joe-kun makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside," Ahim told him. "I love Joe-kun, I do!"

Joe stopped dead in his tracks, "I'm sorry?"

"I love Joe-kun," proclaimed Ahim drunkenly as she collapsed into his arms.

"Ahim!" Joe panicked, but checked her for a pulse. "I'm so sorry," he whispered as he carried her out the door and into the cold night.

* * *

"Is this going to become a thing?"

Luka stared down Joe back at their apartment. They had gotten home five minutes ago and Ahim was now sleeping peacefully on the couch, covered with a blanket.

"First, I wake up and find you two under one blanket, but now I find that you two were drunk together?"

"It's not like that," Joe shot back.

"Oh yeah?" Luka spat out, already showing affection for the other girl. "Then what was it?"

Joe composed himself before explaining everything that had happened. By the end of his story, Luka's expression had softened to one of compassion.

"You know," she started. "She really does have feelings for you."

"She was drunk," Joe countered. "I was just there."  
"A girl wouldn't go into a man's house without feeling safe about the man."

"You were here too," Joe pointed out.

Luka scoffed, annoyed that Joe had to rationalize her arguments. "Go to bed," she ordered him.

Dismissed, Joe stood up, but not before he heard the crinkle of paper in his pocket. He reached in and found four tickets to the Christmas concert where Ahim would debut as a soloist.

"What's that?" Luka asked him.

"Tickets," replied Joe tersely.

He threw them down on the table before retreating in the comfort of the boy's room, unsure of what to make of the day's events anymore.

* * *

**Whelp. That's the minor reference to alcohol. The only reason why I've made it a point to refer to it in the summary is because this includes a scene of drunkenness... something I've never written into any one of my previous fanfictions that have dealt with alcohol. Hence, in a minor state of responsibility, why I've put in the warning into the summary. **

** Moving aside, again, another reference to Veneer in the beginning. BECAUSE WHY NOT?! I can do that. Although, once again, if MidnightRosebud should say that I should take it out, whelp, I'll be replacing it with another name and what not. **

** So... Joe and Ahim have enjoyed their date and now Joe meets up with her at the concert hall... Lightweights, the both of them. Fun fact, I still haven't drank myself to oblivion yet, so all of the drunken scenes were done with insight and speculation haha.**

** Next chapter will be the one to end it all. It may be a bit late, but we're hoping it won't be. I kinda got distracted on the 26th when I bought Pokemon X and went on a writer's block, Kamen Rider Wizard marathon, finished a oneshot, and went back to school. Yar. Three weeks. But it's coming back soon!**

** For those that have stuck with me to the end, I thank you. To PhinalPhantasy, I thank you for all your reviews, even though I haven't been able to respond to them. Life of a student is hard, especially with two jobs.**

** As always, many thanks to Pearl and Lisa for editing. And Pearl found the little reference to Doctor Who in this chapter as well, haha. You two edited during the winter holidays even when I said you didn't need to. Much thanks. So wow. Many edit. **

** See you soon! **


	5. Someone Special - December 25

**Chapter 5: Someone Special - December 25**

* * *

Ahim de Famille woke up in a panic, unaware of her surroundings. Taking frantic looks around, she tried to remember why the room looked so familiar, it was like she had seen it in a different lighting...

"Ah, you're awake."

Ahim turned around to see Luka walking over to her, two mugs of coffee in her hand. Drinking from one, she offered the other cup to Ahim who took it, cradling it in her hands.

"Sorry it's not the good stuff," Luka took her as Ahim took a cautious sip from the mug.

Careful to not let her distaste for the coffee show, Ahim replied with a polite voice, "It is good."

Luka's lips twitched as she knew full well that she had screwed up the coffee and that Ahim was trying to spare her feelings.

"Luka-san," Ahim began. "Can you tell me why I am back in your apartment?"

Luka drained her cup and plopped down on the couch, Ahim having shifted her position. Setting the cup down onto the floor, she turned over to the other girl and asked her, "What do you remember about last night?"

"Nothing at all," Ahim shook her head. "I only remember Joe-san coming in and I took the wine..."

Ahim gasped, covering her mouth. "Luka-san," she said, her eyes pleading. "Please tell me I was not drunk last night."

Luka shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting around.

"Oh no..." said Ahim, visibly dismayed. "I hope I did not do anything embarrassing."

Luka's mouth quirked. "Well," she said, " It depends on what you call 'embarrassing'."

Ahim shook her head, "What did I do?"

Luka patted the other girl's head, "Well, from what Joe told me, you kissed him, and proclaimed your love for him."

Ahim's face turned a deep shade of red as she heard what she had done. "Oh no," she moaned in despair. "My first kiss and I was intoxicated."

"Your first kiss," Luka looked at Ahim with a raised eyebrow. "You really are an innocent princess."

Ahim shook her head, "It is not that. I have just never loved a boy as much as I love Joe-san."

"Ah!" Luka clapped her hands excitedly. "You said it again!"

"I suppose so," Ahim quietly mumbled. "There is no other word to describe my feelings for him."

"Were you going to tell him?"

Ahim nodded, "After today's concert, I was going to confess my feelings towards Joe-san, although now..."

Luka snorted, "You know that Joe still doesn't believe that your feelings are genuine. He thinks that it was just out of the fact that he was close to you that you kissed him and blurted out all those things to him."

"Does he?"

"Yeah," Luka shook her head. "Men, so ignorant."

"I suppose then..." Ahim ventured carefully. "That it would be appropriate to still confess to him tonight?"

"If you feel like you are still able to," Luka advised her.

"Do not worry for me, Luka-san," Ahim said with a grim smile on her face. "I am much more stronger than I appear."

Luka smiled wryly as she cradled her coffee mug. Ahim took a few glances around the apartment while Luka observed her, noticing the lack of noise.

"Luka-san..." Ahim implored carefully. "Where are the rest of your friends?"

Luka raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure that's the question you want to ask me?"

Ahim blushed, knowing that she had been caught. "I want to know where Joe-san is," she admitted quietly.

"There we go," Luka nodded with approval. "You two should learn how to be more direct. It would save so much time.

"In any case, he's at work today."

Ahim looked slightly crestfallen, "At work?"

"Seems like something came up and he had to take inventory there," Luka patted the other girl's shoulder.

Ahim bowed her head, trying not to let her tears show. After all, Joe had always arrived late at the concert hall in the last two days. If Joe was off at the same time again, he wouldn't be there until after her performance.

If he decided to show up.

Luka pulled the girl over, "It's not like he's not going to come to your concert," she told her.

Ahim looked up, "My concert?"

Luka shook her head over to where the tickets lay on the kitchen table, "Joe found them in his jacket last night. I don't think he knew about them."

"He did not know about the tickets," Ahim said. "I had hidden them in his jacket last night before..." Ahim's voice trailed off as she remembered the previous night's incident. "They were meant for all of you."

"Thank you," Luka said. She got up and took one of the tickets in her hand, reading the time of the concert. "It starts at 7, right?"

Ahim nodded.

Luka mulled her thoughts over before speaking carefully. "What if Joe was able to come to your concert? What would you do?"

Ahim thought carefully and looked Luka fully in the eyes, "I would tell him everything."

"Everything being...?"

"I would tell him I love him," Ahim said boldly.

Luka smiled at Ahim's courage. "That's one down," she whispered to herself.

* * *

The sun was starting to set as it heralded in the afternoon. Its orange glow illuminated the snow warmly as people courteously greeted each other with a cheerful "Merry Christmas" as they walked around. Snow was starting to fall gently from the clouds, providing a new dusting on the ground.

Joe walked down the street at a brisk pace. His hands were in his jacket pockets, his face tucked into his collar as he attempted to keep warm. He was currently lost in thought, or rather, distracting himself from last night's events.

_Earlier in the morning when he woke up, he had looked up and saw that Ahim was still sleeping peacefully on the couch. Joe had spent the night with his back against the couch, his head resting against a pillow that was propped near Ahim's stomach. As expected, Ahim was a still sleeper, hardly moving around. Turning around to face her, Joe marveled at how tranquil she looked, and how peaceful and calm she made him feel. He reached out to caress her face, but stopped short of doing so, unsure of himself._

_ "You can do it, you know."_

_ Joe gave a start and saw that Luka was starting at him from the hallway. Slowly, Joe retracted his hand. _

_ "Do what?"_

_ Luka sighed._

_ "I saw how you were looking at her, Joe," Luka accused him. _

_ "I don't know what you mean," Joe replied evenly._

_ Luka walked over to him, her yellow pajamas wrinkling as she folded her arms. "You looked as though you loved her."_

_ Joe turned away, unwilling to respond to Luka's claim. Instead he got up and brushed off himself. _

_ Luka asked him, "Where are you going?"_

_ "Work," came the reply._

_ "Work?" echoed Luka in disbelief._

_ "Have to make sure that the ingredients don't go rotten over the night."_

_ Luka stared at him in disbelief, "When are you going to be back?"_

_ "Maybe sometime in the afternoon," Joe shrugged. "Maybe sometime in the evening."_

_ Luka hit him hard on the shoulder, "If you dare miss Ahim's concert, I will kill you."_

_ Joe looked at Luka and merely said, "I can't make any promises."_

_ Luka raised her fist at him again, but expecting it, Joe caught the punch and lowered it. Luka scoffed and went into the kitchen. "Are you going to say goodbye to her?"_

_ Joe shook his head, "No, I'm going to let her sleep more."_

_ Luka nodded and turned around to make coffee. Seizing the opportunity, Joe grazed Ahim's cheek with his hand and whispered softly into her ear. Standing back up, he noticed that Luka was taking a longer time with the coffee than usual, but shook it off. _

_ "I'm off," he said._

To his credit, Joe didn't actually lie about needing to go into the bakery on Christmas to check for stock. He had arranged it with his boss to do so, as a way to earn extra money. He had finished up his itinerary check by early afternoon and ran out of options to hide. So he decided to take the long way home, passing through the shopping districts.

Joe sighed deeply. If he could rewind back time, he would've never had gone into the concert hall again. He could've saved himself all this trouble if he just hadn't gotten Ahim again.

But...

In the short time he had spent with her, he had felt a bond grow between the two. On his side was a quiet attraction to the girl who could never be fully his. He had nothing to offer her whereas she already had everything that she would need.

But she still took him out to dinner, still taught him the piano, still waited for him at the concert hall.

Joe shook away these thoughts. No, those were just out of pity and kindness, he thought.

Snapping out of his reverie, he found himself back at his apartment. By now, the sun had fully set and darkness had settled in. Opening the door, he found the apartment lit up with Marvelous, Doc and Luka sitting on the couch.

"Hello?" Joe said uncertainly.

Luka turned around, while Doc and Marvelous just stared at each other in confusion. "Well, you're not so late."

"Hey Joe," Marvelous drawled. "Mind explaining what this is all about?" He waved one of the tickets to Ahim's concert.

Joe's face paled as he attempted to exit the apartment, but in a flash Doc and Marvelous had darted over to him and restrained him, forcefully sitting him down on the couch.

"Well, I'm caught," Joe said neutrally.

"Ahim asked where you were this morning when she woke up," Luka began. "Did you know that?"

Joe shook his head.

"She also asked why she was back in our apartment. Did you know that?"

Again, Joe shook his head.

"You're going to answer all those questions in a few hours, after her concert. Did you know that?"

"What!" Joe stood up, but a quick sucker punch to the gut from Luka sent him back to the couch, cradling his stomach.

"You're going to the concert, Joe," Luka told him.

"But I can't! Not after last night! Please, Luka!" Joe pleaded.

"Listen," Luka stared him straight in the eyes. "You're a good guy. I know that. What happened last night happened. Thank God you didn't do anything worse.

" But if you really feel bad about it, who do you need to talk to about it?"

"Ahim," mumbled Joe. "I need to talk to Ahim."

"Right," Luka said, holding out the final ticket. "Now, I think you need to go to that concert."

"How will I get to see her?" Joe took the ticket and got up. "How will she know that I'm there?"

Luka smiled, "Leave that to me."

* * *

Ahim sat timidly behind the curtain, her fellow orchestra members filing in one by one. Behind the thick red curtain sat hundreds of people who had turned up to listen to the free concert. Ahim gripped her bow tightly, hoping that Luka's plan had worked... although what it was, Ahim wasn't so sure about.

Having left the apartment two hours after, Ahim had immediately returned home and refreshed herself, before arriving at the concert hall. As was his custom, the flower seller that came during the performance days was already out there preparing his flowers despite the cold that was settling in. The wizened old man waved cheerfully towards Ahim, who waved back at him before entering the concert hall. It had been easy for her to distract herself through continuous practice, but now that the time had come, Ahim couldn't help but feel nervous. Two questions burned continuously in her mind: "Will he come?" and "Will he listen?"

The conductor rapped his baton smartly on his music stand twice, signalling for attention. Ahim focused her thoughts and composed herself, relaxing herself.

Still, the questions burned.

* * *

Joe and his friends had taken their seats up in the upper box where Joe had first hidden in when he initially came into the concert hall that Christmas night one year ago. To Joe, the feeling of being back in the box brought a slight touch of nostalgia back to him as he said down on one of the comfortable chairs. To his surprise, the other boxes were filled with other people that looked like they were critics or people that belonged in the boxes. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, he squirmed in his seat only for Luka to look over and shush him.

For the concert, Ahim had happily provided the four of them with dress clothes that would be suitable for the occasion. She had taken Luka for a brief shopping trip, allowing for Luka to pick and choose shirts and ties for each of the men and a nice yellow dress for herself. It was these that each of them were now wearing, with Marvelous and Doc each sporting a blazer and black dress shirt with red and green ties, respectively. For his part, Joe was wearing a blazer with a dark blue shirt. His tie was stuffed in his pocket as he claimed that he didn't want to put it on. When Marvelous saw that Joe was going without his tie on, he had attempted to take his off, only for Luka to threaten him with a smile.

The curtains opened and revealed the orchestra behind it. Applause erupted as the conductor bowed and raised his baton, with each member raising their instruments.

"There she is," Luka whispered to Joe. She didn't have to. As soon as the curtain opened, she had caught Joe's eyes. Her elegant poise and her pale pink dress made her shine like a beacon in comparison to the rest of the orchestra members who were all dressed in formal suits or varying darker colours.

"Ahim..." Joe breathed as she began to play. Her melody flooded the room and engulfed everyone with varying feelings of love, warmth and care.

Ahim drew her bow over the strings with careful confidence, her eyes focused to the sheet music in front of her. By now, she could play the song by heart, but her sheet music was a reminder of what to think about. As she played, she tried to place all of her feelings into her song, so that if Joe was there, she hoped he would be able to understand her feelings behind the song.

As her solo drew to a close, she looked up and made eye contact with the conductor who lifted up his baton, readying the orchestra. Pulling back her bow, the conductor simultaneously brought down his baton, starting the rest of the orchestra.

Applause once again erupted from the audience as Ahim continued to play, joining in with the orchestra.

"I didn't know she was that good," Luka observed as she watched Ahim from above. Marvelous and Doc only nodded, mesmerized by the music. Joe sat stoically, just watching Ahim play, watching her fluidly make her bow dance upon her cello's strings.

As the song started to slow down, Ahim once again took over as the sole player. She gracefully ran her bow back and forth, until she ended the song with a flourish.

For the third time, clapping, cheers and shouts burst forward from the audience, as some even began to throw roses towards the stage.

Acting impulsively, Joe reached into his pocket and took out his pink tie. Reaching the edge of the balcony, he threw it over, aiming at Ahim.

* * *

Ahim heard a slight thud as she felt something light hit her cello. A ribbon? No, but the colour looked familiar. She picked it off from the ground and recognized it as one of the ties that she had picked out with Luka. She looked up eagerly to the box which she had reserved and found the one she had been looking for.

Her eyes sparkled as she waved subtlety to Joe, her smile widening. Joe merely waved back to her, his face unsure of what to do. However, Ahim put down her cello and tied the tie around her neck. As the cheering died down, she watched out of the corner of her eye as Joe retreated back into the box.

He was here. Now all she had to do was tell him.

* * *

The rest of the night went smoothly as the concert finished. More ties had been thrown at the stage, but none of them were touched. Joe's mouth twitched every time a tie was thrown, but he paid it no mind. She was wearing his.

"Come on," Luka pulled him. "Let's go and congratulate her."

Joe nodded as he and the rest of the boys got out of their seats and walked down to the ground floor. As they reached Ahim, they noticed a group of admirers already thronging around her.

"Ahim!" Luka called out. Ahim's head perked up as she noticed Luka waving her over. Bowing once, she excused herself from the group and headed over to her friends.

"Well done," Luka congratulated her as she hugged the other girl.

"Congratulations on a successful concert!" Doc said, while Marvelous merely echoed Luka's sentiments. Ahim thanked them all and turned to face Joe.

"Good job," Joe said as he looked at her. "You played wonderfully."

"I am so glad you enjoyed it," Ahim said. "Um... is there a way that I could talk to you in private?"

Luka nodded and dragged the other boys away from the two, while Joe led the way back up to the box. Ahim locked the door behind them to prevent any unwanted interruptions.

"Umm... about last night," Ahim began, but Joe cut her off.

"Ahim, I'm sorry about what I did. I shouldn't have let my emotions get the best of me," Joe said quickly. "I shouldn't have taken advantage of you."

Ahim shook her head, "You did nothing wrong, Joe-san. We were both inebriated and could not think properly."

"I still shouldn't have done that," Joe insisted.

"I think I wanted you to do it though," Ahim admitted quietly.

Joe stared at her in shock. "What?"

"I wanted you to kiss me," Ahim repeated with more boldness.

Joe didn't understand. "But... why?"

"Because I love you, Joe-san," Ahim confessed, her face turning red, but she remained steady.

"You do?"

"I do," Ahim affirmed. "I was hoping you felt the same way about me."

"But I can't give you anything," Joe protested. "This shouldn't be. I can't provide for you."

"I do not need you to give me anything material," Ahim scolded him, but reached for his hand. "But was I right?"

"About what?" he asked.

"Do you love me back?"

Joe thought long and hard for a few moments before he said, "I do. I love you, Ahim."

Ahim smiled before she squeezed Joe's hand once. Releasing her grip, she undid his tie that was still wrapped around her neck.

"Why did you throw down the tie?" she asked him as she did the top button of Joe's shirt.

Joe watched as Ahim tied it around his neck, "I wanted to let you know that I was here. To let you know that I was watching."

"I'm glad," Ahim tightened the tie and left it out. She gripped it and looked up at the decoration that was hanging from the ceiling. She smiled at the irony.

"What's wrong?" Joe asked her.

"Nothing," Ahim told him. "Just look up."

Joe looked up and noticed what Ahim was looking at. Mistletoe. "Oh, uh," Joe mumbled.

"It is okay," Ahim said, using the tie to pull him closer. "This time, we're not drunk, Joe-kun."

Joe cupped Ahim's face as their lips met under the mistletoe. As they parted, Ahim stared at Joe, her eyes beaming with happiness.

"Merry Christmas," they both said in unison, before they laughed at the coincidence. Joe pulled Ahim closer to him, bumping their foreheads lightly before sliding in for another kiss under the mistletoe...

* * *

**Well, it's the end of this story :D as always a couple thoughts for this chapter. **

** First things first, as stated in the previous author's note, this chapter was delayed for the longest time (around 3 weeks) because of my purchase of Pokemon X, other things, vacation things, school and other things. As a result, I procrastinated until the last minute and actually gave it to Pearl and Lisa to edit the Friday before I went in for work. I work overnight for two and a half days so I managed to beast out this chapter in five hours. Yes. :D **

** Second thing was that in my original notes, I actually had no idea how I'd be writing out the confession, the confrontation and what Joe was going to throw. Originally, the chapter was going to start right before the concert started and Joe would still be home, thinking about whether to go. Eventually he would go and things would pan out. What he threw changed from bread, to a blue rose, to finally the tie that we read about. The confrontation stayed the same, though I had intended a scene for Marvelous and crew to come in with crackers and just spoil the mood. I'm kind of glad I didn't, and how Joe would eventually put a necklace around Ahim's neck. When I reached the end though, I didn't think it would be plausible given how poor he was, so that's alright. **

** Hmm... the genesis of this story came from the term "Impossible Girl" from Doctor Who. I don't know why, but I just thought that it was a good line and this sort of happened from it. Afterwards, I asked around my friend's circle for Ahim's instrument, asking for a Cello or a Violin. Surprisingly, a lot of them voted for the cello, which I favour a bit more than the violin. **

** Other major changes happened around the third chapter, where instead of just Joe and Ahim going out for dinner, it would be the whole crew and they would bunk over at Ahim's house, learning that she was rich. But it was changed to the piano scene which I think was a bit more heartwarming and the sleeping scene didn't change. I wanted to keep that. **

** Oh, before I forget, the chapter titles were all from the song, "Last Christmas". Haha, I wonder if anyone got that.**

** Finally, I want to thank you all for reading this, even though it's around a month after Christmas when this is posted, but time management for this sucks. To Lisa and Pearl, thanks for editing over the holiday season and during the beginning of school. To those that read, reviews, favourited and followed, I thank you. **

** Look forward to my next fic, which should hopefully be a Valentines/White Day pair of Chiaki and Kotoha and Takeru and Mako respectively. Both of them are in the writing stage right now and should be done on time. **

** Of course after that, we go into Kamen Rider Wizard. Have I mentioned that Koyomi and Haruto are my newest OTP? .**

** As always, thank you.**


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